LALS Faculty
Meet Our Partners
Latin American and Latinx Studies brings together faculty from across Stetson University whose teaching and research explore the histories, cultures, politics, and experiences of Latin America, the Caribbean, and US Latinx communities. Drawing on perspectives from disciplines across the humanities and social sciences, our faculty create opportunities for students to make connections across fields, engage with diverse perspectives, and deepen their understanding of the region and its global significance. Together, they make LALS an interdisciplinary community of learning, discovery, and exchange.
Joshua Deckman, PhD
Joshua R. Deckman is Director of Stetson University’s Latin American and Latinx Studies Program and Co-Director of La Casa Cultural Latina, where he oversees the community ESL program. His research and teaching focus on Black Caribbean writers, Afro-Latinx voices, and anti-imperial social and political imaginations. His first monograph, Feminist Spiritualities: Conjuring Resistance in the Afro-Caribbean and Its Diasporas, was published by SUNY Press in 2023. His second monograph, Soft Politics: Vulnerability and Refusal at the Edge of Empire, is currently under advanced contract.
Raisa Ankeny, PhD
Raisa Ankeny holds a PhD in Curriculum and Instruction, with a specialization in TESOL and Bilingual Education, from New Mexico State University. Her research focuses on bilingual education, culturally and linguistically responsive teaching, teacher preparation, and educational policies affecting multilingual learners. At Stetson, she teaches courses in bilingualism, language and culture, multicultural education, and ESOL methods. She also leads student study-abroad experiences in Puerto Rico, connecting students with the island’s linguistic, cultural, and educational landscapes while fostering critical reflection on language, identity, and community.
William Chavez, PhD
William Chavez is a scholar of American religion, folklore, and popular culture whose teaching and research explore the intersections of religion, media, and cultural expression. His interests include popular culture, vernacular religion, and the ways religious ideas and practices take shape across different cultural contexts. At Stetson, he teaches courses such as Strange Tales of Latin(x) America and the Caribbean, which examines the region’s cultural traditions through folklore, literature, and popular narratives. His current collaborative projects explore the intersections of horror media, class, and popular culture.
Melissa Parks, PhD
Melissa Parks is an Associate Professor of Education whose teaching and research focus on hands-on learning, science education, and environmental stewardship. Drawing on her background as an elementary school teacher, she explores how children’s literature and authentic classroom experiences can foster curiosity, strengthen conceptual understanding, and engage students with science and STEM. Her work in environmental education also creates connections to broader conversations about sustainability, place, and the relationships between communities and their environments. Through her teaching and student experiences, she brings an experiential, interdisciplinary perspective to the study of Latin America and the Caribbean.
Jelena Petrovic, PhD
Jelena Petrovic is an Associate Professor of Communication and Media Studies whose research examines how news media shape representations of migration and national identity across diverse cultural and international contexts. Her teaching and scholarship draw on media studies, cultural studies, and critical discourse analysis to explore questions of identity, representation, and social movements. She is also a co-founder of the Community Education Project, a higher education in prison program at Tomoka Correctional Institution in Central Florida. Most recently, she co-led a Rinker Global Scholars cohort to Oaxaca, Mexico, with Dr. Joshua Deckman, providing students with an opportunity to engage with the region’s cultural and social contexts.
Ana Servigna, PhD
Ana Servigna is a Visiting Assistant Professor of Sociology and Anthropology whose interdisciplinary background in architecture and anthropology informs her teaching and research. Her work explores the relationships between space, place, politics, and social inequality, with particular attention to urban design, environmental issues, and the ways these dynamics shape everyday life. Her current research examines immigration in the United States through the experiences of the Venezuelan diaspora in Florida. She brings a regional and interdisciplinary perspective to LALS, connecting questions of Latin American migration, urban life, and social change.
Ruth Yuste-Alonso, PhD
Ruth Z. Yuste-Alonso is an Assistant Professor of Spanish and Hispanic Studies whose research explores questions of identity and representation in Hispanic literature, film, and other audiovisual narratives. Drawing on an intersectional approach, her work examines how cultural productions engage with issues of gender, sexuality, social difference, and national identity. Her interests in cinema, visual culture, and cultural studies bring an interdisciplinary perspective to the study of Hispanic and Latin American cultural expression. She teaches courses in Spanish language, literature, and culture.